Dispensing-cabinet for collapsible drinking-cups or the like.



W. E. SWIFT.

DISPENSING CABINET FOR COLLAPSIBLE DRINKING CUPS OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 9. 1912.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

I To all whom'it may concern:

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented IFeh. 8, 1916.

Application filediltovember 9, 1912. Serial No. 730,4t7.

Be it known that I, WILLARD citizen of. the United States, residing attVorcest'er, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement -inDispensing-Cabinets for Collapsible Drinks ing-Cups or the like, ofwhich the following, together with the accompanying drawing,'is aspecification.

My invention relates to dispensing cabinets, for collapsible drinklncups or the like and resides more particu arly in an improved means forprojecting collapsible cups or the like from such cabinets.

The subject matter of the present invention consists in an improvementin the dispensing cabinet disclosed in my former application forDispensing cabinets for collapsible drinking cups and -similar articles,Serial No. 717,026, filed Augustjfi, 1912.

It has been found in practice that the projecting means shown in myformer application is not as certain in its action as is desired, and anobject of the present invention is to provide an improved cup projectingmeans that will be certain to at each operation.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewshowing a dispensing cabinet provided with projecting means constructedin accordance with the present invention; Fig. v2 is a; horizontalsectional view on the line 2+2 of Fig. 1, the position of thecollapsible cups within the cabinet being shown by broken lines; Fig.

project a cup 3 is a rear view of the improved. projecting meanstogether with a collapsible cup in po sition to be engaged thereby ,Fig.4 1s a perspective view of'the projecting means; and

Fig. 5 is a view of a form of cup adapted to be used in connection witha cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in the difierentfigures.

The cabinet 1 is of suitable size and shape to accommodate a stack ofcollapsible drinking cups 2 or the like. A shelf 3'is rigidly fixedwithin the cabinet for supporting the stack of cups 2. Spacedbelow thisshelf 3 is a second shelf 4 upon which rests a slide 5 held against theupper face of the shelf 4 by short projections 6 extending downwardlyfrom the shelf 3. The slide 5 is provided at its rear end'with a: stud 5on which is p votally supported a "if-shaped cup engaging member 7, theupright stem 7 of this T-shaped member 7 extending upwardly through aslot 8- in the shelf3. The horizontal arms 7" of the T-shaped. memberwhen in a horizontalposition are slightly ra sed-above the shelf 3. Theslot 8 is sufficiently wide to allow' a slight rocking movement of theT-shaped member. The sllde 5 extends sidewise in both directions to thesides of the cabinet so that'it is guided in a backward and "forwardpath upon the shelf 4, and the slot 8 inthe shelf 3 extends 1n adirection parallel to the path of the sllde 5 to allow the cup engagingmember to move with the slide.

rest in the cabinet and each prong 9 engages the on between thelongitudinal center and one e ge thereof. The cup engaging member 7 istall enough to raise the rear end of the lowermost'cup somewhat aboveits supporting shelf 3. v

The cupsintended for use in the cabinet are in general inthe. shape ofan open end envelop as shown at A, Fig.- 5, that is, the cups arecollapsible. or flat with one end open and with one edge at the open endextending beyond the other edge forming a flap 1B. The cups are laidhorizontally in the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 1, with the open ends tothe rear and with the flap B,

uppermost. When the slide 5 and. the cup engaging member 7 are in their-.rearmost positions, thls cup engaging member lies at the rear oftheshorter edge 0 of the cup and beneath the flap B. The prongs 9,therefore, press upwardly against the inner surface of the longer faceof the cup, thus tending to open the" cup. ft is found in practice,however, thatthe lower face of the cup. tends," underthese-circumstances, to rest against the upper". face along the medianline of the cup, as shown atll, Fig. 3. It is for this reasonthat theprongsjha're located between this median line. and the sides of the cup,a prong located: at the median line of the cup. being liable at times 1to pass a under the lower face of the cupdnstead of tail oneembodiment'of m engaging the.edge C in itsforward motion.

It -is also found in practice,

cup and the sides thereof, when the flap'B is resting-upon the cupengaging member 7, the upper and lower faces of the" cup tend toseparate, as shown in Fig; 3, thus providing spaces for the two prongsto enter so, as to insure positive engagement between the cup engagingmember and the rear edge of the lower face of the cup.

Inasmuch as the cups are not rigid in character and are sometimesslightly bent or warped, the cup engaging member 1s pivotally mountedupon the slide 5 in order that it may tip toward one side or the otherof the cabinet until both prongs v 9 bear against the flap B. The slide5 extends at its beoperated.

A pin 13 extending downwardly from the slide 5 through a suitable slot13 in the cups,

shelf 4 has'its owerend connectedto a fixed point ,at the rear of thecabinet by a spring 14, whichacts to retract thev slide'f5 to its normalposition after it has been used to project a cup from the cabinet. Aweight 15 is provided to rest upon the stack of cups t e 2 toiinsuretheir pro er descent within cabinet. A small she f 16 with a fingerrecess 17 in its 'front edge is provided to support the cups as they arewithdrawn through the opening 10. A

While I have shown and described in deinvention and one applicationthereof, I 0 not wish to be however, that between the median line of thelowermost aboutan axis parallel to andhaving projections on each side ofsaid.

forward end through the front face of the cabinet and is-provided at itsforwardend with a hook 12 by which the 'slide maythe cabinet.

limited to s uch; details ascertain changes may be made withoutdeparting from the .spirit of the invention;v but- What .I claim asnewand desire to secure by Letters Patent'is: y p Y 1.In a disprising-cabinet for drinking cups, an ejecting mechanism for moving each;cup in the plane of its flat or extended position, comprising a slide,movable in the direction of the median line of the cup, and cup engagingmeans, pivoted to said slide said median line,

median line adapted to contact with said cup.

cups, an ejecting mechanism for moving eachcup in 'theplane ofiitsHater-extended.

arms of said T-shaped member having prongs to engage an edge of the cupat each side of its, center,

Dated this seventh day of November,

WILLARD E. SWIFT. Witnesses: l

Panniers Consumes,

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2.. In a dispensing cabinet for drinking to project'the cup from

